


Adrift

by TheGreatUnicornDetective



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Canon - Movie, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 06:24:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13584165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreatUnicornDetective/pseuds/TheGreatUnicornDetective
Summary: As the losers grow up, they find themselves facing a new set of equally terrifying challenges, namely ...puberty.For some this just means acne, awkward growth spurts and drama but for Eddie this means struggling against a world, hell bent on tearing him down.Luckily Eddie has a best friend called Richie Tozier, hellbent on building him back up.





	Adrift

It had been two weeks thought Richie, two whole weeks since he had last seen Eddie.

Richie had tried to pretend that everything was fine, tried to ignore how for the last year Eddie had been withdrawing further and further into himself, thinking that maybe if he kept trying to make Eddie smile, he'd finally giggle like he used to do, that maybe everything would be okay. Maybe if he could just keep playing like everything was normal , it just... would be.  
Thinking now, Richie could see how flawed his own logic was, but pretending that nothing had changed was easier than living with the notion that something was really wrong with his best friend.

Richie looked around at the gang of losers and realised how wrong it felt to be hanging out with his friends while Eddie was probably holed up in his room with his mother force feeding him vitamins.  
It started with Eddie occasionally missing their outings after school, saying he had homework or allergies and then eventually he just stopped coming at all. At school it almost seemed like Eddie was actively avoiding him , sitting as far away as possible during lunch or disappearing somewhere Richie couldn't follow.  
Richie wracked his brains, fingers digging into his temples as he tried to think of the event that must've caused this change in his friend, but nothing came to mind ..nothing except for ....

It was a Tuesday and he and Eddie were pedalling their bikes across the school grounds. Richie had just turned sixteen and a massive growth spurt now meant that he loomed at least a head above Eddie.  
" So tell me my dear Eds" said Richie stroking an imaginary beard, "any plans for the summer, not including climbing back inside your mothers vagina of course".  
" Okay, one”, said Eddie turning red, " don't call me that and two, shut the fuck up"!

Richie laughed bumping eddies shoulder in a playful way, when a loud voice echoed across the yard.  
" Where the hell are you two faggots off too".  
They stopped, eddies face turning white.  
Richie had long stopped fearing bullies , defeating an evil, child eating clown will do that to you.  
It was Jeff Kane, a transfer student from Iowa, with huge meaty fists and a face that reminded Richie oddly of a hammerhead shark.

"Fuck off Jeff", shouted Richie turning to face him, " don't you have anything better to do on a Friday afternoon, like I don't know... your mom"!  
Jeff stepped forward, hands tightening into fists and Eddie grabbed Richie's arm to pull him back.  
" Aw look at that Richie", Jeff spat, " your boyfriends come to your rescue".  
Richie looked back at Eddie , who was shaking like a leaf, hand still clutching onto Richies arm.  
" I wouldn't count on him to protect you ey Richie, he's a real queer that one. I can practically smell the fairy on him".  
Richie had never seen Eddie look so scared before, it was as if all the blood had drained out of his body and he dropped Richie's arms as if he'd been burnt backing away slowly.  
Richie couldn't really remember everything that happened next, but he had a vague memory of Jeff lunging toward Eddie and without even thinking he had stepped in front of him , Jeff fist connecting with his head.  
When he woke up, he was lying on the ground, gravel sticking uncomfortably into his hands as Eddie cradled his head.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry".

By now Richie had put the event in the past. It wasn't the first time , someone had beat the shit out of him and he doubted it'd be the last. Eddie however .... eddies eyes had this sort of haunted look about them since that day. He still remembered eddies face after Jeff had called him queer, he had this look of real fear. The kind he'd only seen on eddies face when they were almost killed in pennywises house of horrors. Eddie usually had no trouble sticking up for himself nowadays, despite his slight stature.

It couldn't be ..,thought Richie..eyes widening. Could Eddie ...be ...gay.  
No, he thought , they were best friends, Eddie would've told him by now, wouldn't he?  
Oh fuck, he thought, fingers twisting into his hair, "how the fuck do I deal with this"?

" Richie". 

It was bill , "Richie ... eh ..y-you okay" ?  
Richie looked up , slowing untangling his hands from his hair. The whole gang was looking down at him' with various faces of concern .  
Ugh, yeah", laughed Richie a bit too loudly before fixing a queasy smile on his face, "I'm doing just fine , A okay , perfecto"  
To his surprise none of his friends seemed to notice the fake edge to his smile and Richie took a breathe , combing his fingers through his hair .  
He had to talk to Eddie , he decided standing up suddenly, he had to stop being a coward. Sure he was scared and confused but it couldn't be half of what Eddie was feeling, what he'd been feeling all of these months by himself.  
Fuck he thought , tears springing to his eyes , Eddie had been dealing with this all alone.  
In that moment Richie Knew what to do , picking up his bike and hopping on .  
" where ya going Richie", shouted bev , eyes drawn in concern. He hadn't fooled her he realised, Bev always knew when something was up .

" I'm going to get Eddie, he shouted," don't wait up for me".


End file.
